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After weeks of speculation, Barbara Walters revealed her choice for the Most Fascinating Person of 2013 — and in fact, of the last 20 years — is former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In the interview, which aired on Wednesday as part of Walters' Most Fascinating People special, Clinton talked about her decision to step away from the public eye, her desire to leave a legacy of "integrity and service," and, of course, whether or not she is planning to run for President. However, while we think Clinton is a great choice for the top spot in Walters' list (we actually predicted it a few weeks ago), especially with the reasoning that Walters gave, we can't help but take issue with the Most Fascinating People list as a whole. Namely, the fact that it is missing one of the most fascinating, influential, inspirational and admirable people in the world, Malala Yousafzai.
Looking at the people who were chosen to make up the rest of the list — which includes Pope Francis I, Miley Cyrus, Prince George, Edward Snowden, ABC Anchor Robin Roberts, Diana Nyad, the cast of Duck Dynasty, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kimye — it simply makes no sense why Yousafzai wouldn't be included. Surely the 16-year-old girl who defied the Taliban, has become an advocate for peace and girls' education throughout the world, and is the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in history is more interesting than, say, an infant, even a royal one. Yes, we know that the whole world was entranced by the announcement of Prince George's birth, and yes, we'll all fascinated by his parents, but he's still too young to have done, said or even thought anything particularly fascinating. And it's not like Walters would be able to actually hold and interview with the prince, so it makes no sense as to why he would be on the list when someone like Yousafzai, who is much more deserving, is not.
Look, we get that ratings probably play a large role when it comes to choosing the list. After all, who guarantees higher ratings than Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus and the cast of Duck Dynasty? But we can find out plenty about all of those people on their television shows, social media accounts, or in the countless other interviews they give throughout the year. And, let's face it, none of them are really more fascinating or inspirational than Yousafzai is.
So, what should we do about Yousafzai's unfortunate exclusion from this list? Well, since it's too late for Walters to change her mind, we recommend instead that everyone focus on Yousafzai's achievements and activism. Read up on her story, and her mission. Buy her autobiography, I Am Malala. Donate to and support her foundation, The Malala Fund, which works to encourage and empower girls to stand up for their right to education, as well as helping to fund programs that ensure that girls get the education and opportunities that they deserve. And make sure to vocally support Yousafzai and her quest to ensure that all children will receive an education. She might not be willing to declare that she more than deserves to be on top of everyone's Most Fascinating People list, but we definitely are, and we will.
You can catch the entirety of Walters' Most Fascinating People special on ABC's website, and watch Yousafzai's wonderful interview with Jon Stewart, below.
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All of those who lived in fear that Time magazine would declare Miley Cyrus to be the Person of the Year can finally breathe a sigh of relief; the honor was instead awarded to Pope Francis, who became head of the Catholic Church in March. Nancy Gibbs, the magazine's managing editor explained the choice, stating that "So much of what he has done in his brief nine months in office has really changed the tone that is coming out of the Vatican. He is saying, 'We are about the healing mission of the church, and not about the theological police work that had maybe been preoccupying us.'"
Pope Francis beat out a shortlist that included last year's winner President Obama, as well as Edward Snowden, Senator Ted Cruz, and of course, Miss Cyrus. Both he and Cyrus were also named to Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating People list, which means that 2013 is officially the year when pop stars and religious leaders collided. Although Cyrus led in Time's reader poll, the final decision is always made by the magazine's staff, which means that we were all essentially upset over something that we shouldn't have been worried about.
But as with all end-of-the-year lists, the choice is bound to be divisive. After all, there's no way that only one human being can be considered to have the greatest influence on every single person on the planet. And that is why every year, multiple publications all declare a different person to have been the most entertaining, the most fascinating, the most influential or the best looking person of the year. We've rounded a bunch of them up for you, so that you can decide which one had the greatest impact on your and your life in 2013.
Entertainment Weekly's Entertainer of the Year: Sandra Bullock
Why: For giving two fantastic performances in two of the year's biggest films, The Heat and Gravity. For her friendship with Melissa McCarthy. For making us all root for her and George Clooney to get together. For being the most likeable movie star currently working.
GQ's Man of the Year: Justin Timberlake
Why: For launching the biggest and most talked-about comeback of the year. For starring in both one of the best (Inside Llewyn Davis) and one of the worst (Runner, Runner) films of the year. For earning seven Grammy nominations. For being best friends with Jimmy Fallon. For being one of the best recurring SNL hosts around.
People's Sexiest Man Alive: Adam Levine
Why: For being a coach on the biggest reality show in the country, The Voice. For his uniform of skinny jeans, leather jackets and white V-neck shirts. For his engagement to Victoria's Secret model Behati Prinsloo. For sparking nation-wide debate about who would be a better choice for the title.
Glamour's Man of the Year: Daniel Radcliffe
Why: For his starring roles in Kill Your Darlings and on the West End in The Cripple of Inishmaan. For playing a younger version of John Hamm in A Young Doctor's Notebook. For his dedication to his charity work. For breaking away from Harry Potter while still appreciating the opportunities and fans it brought him. For the terrible hair extensions he has to wear for Frankenstein.
Glamour's Woman of the Year: Lady Gaga
Why: For releasing Artpop, one of the most highly-anticipated albums of the year. For her work with her Born This Way Foundation. For declaring that her Glamour cover should have gone to Malala Yousafzai. For dressing up as a human Christmas tree.
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Miramax/Everett Collection
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single gamer in possession of a large collection of classic novels must be in want of an RPG. Well, thanks to Judy L. Tryer, they may soon be able to unite some of the best blessings of existence in the form of the Jane Austen-inspired MMORPG Ever, Jane. The project reached its Kickstarter funding goal on Monday, which will finally allow literature nerds and video games fans alike to experience the world of Austen's novels and become the hero or heroine they've always wanted to be.
Ever, Jane will allow players to create their own characters and explore the Regency-era setting, spreading gossip to win friends and take down enemies and throwing balls and dinner parties in order to improve their social status. Players will be allowed to choose personality traits, such as Duty or Happiness, and band together in families in order to advance in society and win the affections of some eligible bachelor. The game will allow for players to choose the social class they wish to belong to through a subscription service - although you can play for free if you don’t fear the prospect of being a peasant in 18th century England - and each position comes with its own set of perks and challenges. Every action in the game also has consequences, including notifying players if they’ve been gossiped about too often or losing status points if a character of a higher class rejects an invitation.
Much of the gameplay will center on the major events of balls and dinner parties, although Tryer promises that the final version will include mini-games, with challenges like dancing and card games that are designed to help characters improve their skills and personality traits. Of course, since the game is set in the world of Austen, female characters will be limited to sewing and embroidery, while the mini-games for male characters will focus primarily on hunting and fishing.
Despite earning the necessary funding, it still seems like it will be quite some time before Ever, Jane is fully developed for the public, so you’ll have to wait a little longer for a shot at Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley. However, Tryer has made a playable prototype available for download on the Kickstarter page, so you can hone your gossiping skills in advance.
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Splash News
What do Miley Cyrus and Pope Francis have in common? Unfortunately, it's not a love of twerking or a palace in Rome, but the fact that they have both been declared to be part of Barbara Walters' list of the Most Fascinating People in 2013. They're joined on the list - Walters' last before her retirement next year - by Prince George, Edward Snowden, ABC Anchor Robin Roberts, Diana Nyad, the cast of Duck Dynasty, Jennifer Lawrence, and of course, Kimye (a.k.a. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West). Sure, we could wonder how Walters plans to interview an infant, or whether West will let anyone get a word in edgewise during his segment, or if the Duck Dynasty men will reveal the secrets behind their signature beards, but the more important question is just who Walters thinks was more fascinating than any of the much-talked about people on this list.
We won't find out the answer to that question until Walters reveals her top choice during her television special on Dec. 18, but in the meantime, let's speculate about who could have beaten out a pope, a prince, and a pop star.
The Disgraced AthleteLance Armstrong has already appeared on the list twice before and was Walters' number one pick in 1999; however, while his previous appearances celebrated his Tour De France wins and his triumph over cancer, he made headlines in 2013 after he admitted to using steroids throughout his career, and therefore being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Walters has included people who were currently in the midst of or recently endured major scandals, like with the inclusion of Tiger woods in 2010, after his multiple affairs became public, and last year's top pick, General David Petraeus, who stepped down as Director of the CIA after an affair was revealed as part of an FBI investigation. If Armstrong is looking to win back the affection of the general public, an interview with Walters could help him out, but since his admission to using steroids came out at the very beginning of the year, there's a chance that the nation has moved on and is uninterested in hearing more from him.
The PoliticianWalters' pick for the year's most fascinating person usually holds some sort of political influence, from 1994's top pick Nelson Mandela to two-time winner Hillary Rodham Clinton to the consecutive wins of Barack and Michelle Obama. This year, Walters would have a number of major political figures to choose from, making this the most difficult character to predict. She could go with Clinton again, who stepped down as Secretary of State and is surrounded by rumors of another presidential run, her daughter, Chelsea, who has done a great deal to boost the profile of the Clinton's family foundation, Wendy Davis, the Texas senator whose 11-hour filibuster in June got national attention, or Senator Ted Cruz, who many held responsible for bringing about the government shutdown in September.
The Scandal of the YearIf Walters hadn't already included Snowden on the list, therefore making him ineligible for the top spot, this is where we would say that he would be a shoo-in for the title. Therefore, it's possible that the Most Famous Person of 2013 could be Manti Te'o, the former Notre Dame football star who, in the weirdest scandal of the year, found out that he had been the victim of a hoax, and that the beloved girlfriend he believed died of cancer before the biggest game of the season had never existed in the first place. It's easy to see why Te'o dominated the news for a good part of the year, as this scandal had it all: deceit, intrigue, dead grandmothers, fake Twitter accounts, and college football. In fact, the more information that was revealed about the elaborate Catfishing scheme, the more questions were raised. With that in mind, we propose that if Walters didn't choose Te'o as the most fascinating, she choose instead the guy behind the hoax, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, so that we can all find out how everything played out.
The Pop Culture PhenomenonOccasionally, Walters breaks away from the most scandalous or most prestigious person of the year, and focuses on someone who has dominated the conversation through pop culture. If Walters wants to go that route this year, there are only two real possibilities for who she would choose. The first is J.K. Rowling, who previously won the top spot in 2007 after publishing the final Harry Potter book. In 2013, she made headlines again when it was revealed that she was the author behind The Cuckoo's Calling, a critically-acclaimed but publicly unnoticed detective novel. After it was revealed that Rowling wrote the novel under the pen name Robert Galbriath, it went flying off the shelves. Shortly afterward, Rowling revealed that she would be returning to the world of Harry Potter by writing the screenplay for a spin off film starring the magizoologist Newt Scamander, to be titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The second pop culture phenomenon that dominated 2013 was, of course, Breaking Bad, which came to a record-breaking conclusion at the end of September. There was no show on television this year that was bigger, better, or more talked-about than Breaking Bad was, and so if Walters decides to declare a pop culture giant as the Most Fascinating thing in 2013, then there is no better choice than Vince Gilligan, Brian Cranston, and Aaron Paul.
The CurveballIn 2013, there was one person who was talked about more than any other human being on the planet. An ideal combination of mysterious, beautiful and wealthy, she captured the world's attention and has dominated the headlines since she first appeared in June. We are, of course, talking about North West, daughter of Kim and Kanye, who at four months old is more famous and more talked about than both of her parents. For her last ever special, we'd like to see Walters make the unusual choice of awarding the title to baby North, who, in return, would help make the last Most Fascinating People special the biggest and highest rated one of all time. And if North doesn't want to be interviewed on her own - she is notoriously private, after all - we're sure everyone would love to watch a joint conversation between her and the other famous baby on the list, Prince George.
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When you're in high school it feels like the whole world is against you. In writer/director Stephen Chbosky's high school-set The Perks of Being a Wallflower the whole world may actually be against Charlie (Logan Lerman) whose freshman year of high school should be listed in the dictionary under "Murphy's Law." Plagued by memories of two significant deaths as well as general social anxiety Charlie takes a passive approach to ninth grade. A few days of general bullying later he falls into a friendship with two misfit seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) who teach him how to live life without fear. Perks starts off with a disadvantage: introverts aren't terribly engaging but Chbosky surrounds Charlie with a vivid cast of characters who help him blossom and inject the coming-of-age tale with a necessary energy.
Set in a timeless version of the '90s Charlie's world is full of handwritten journals mixtapes and a just-tolerable amount of tweed. He writes letters to a nameless recipient as a way of venting a preventative measure to keep the teen from repeating a vague incident that previously left him hospitalized. The drab background of Pittsburgh fits perfectly with Charlie's blank existence. And when he finally comes to life as part of Patrick and Sam's off-beat clique so does the city. Like the archaic vinyl records Sam lusters over (The Smiths of course!) Chbosky visualizes Charlie's journey through the underbelly of suburban Pennsylvania with a raw emotion blooming lights and film grit at every turn. Michael Brook's score and an adeptly curated soundtrack accompanies the episodic affair which centers on Charlie's search for a song he hears during the most important moment of his life.
The charm that keeps The Perks of Being a Wallflower from collapsing under its own super seriousness come from Chbosky's perfectly cast ensemble. Lerman has a thankless job playing Charlie; often constrained to a half-smile and shy shrug Lerman is never allowed to grapple with Charlie's greatest fears and problems until (too) late in the film. Watson nails the spunky object-of-everyone's-affection but she's outshined by Mae Whitman as Mary Elizabeth another rebellious friend in the pack who takes a liking to Charlie. The real star turn is Miller riding high from We Need to Talk About Kevin and taking a complete 180 with Patrick a rambunctious wiseass who struggles to have an openly gay relationship with the football captain but covers his pain with humor. A scene of confrontation — at where else the cafeteria — is one of the best scenes of the year.
Chbosky adapted Perks of Being a Wallflower from his own book and the movie feels stifled by a looming structure. But it nails the emotional beats — there is no obvious path to surviving high school. It's messy shocking and occasionally beautiful. That about sums up Perks.

The beloved writer/filmmaker passed away on 26 June (12) due to complications from acute myeloid leukaemia, and her death prompted many of her fans and collaborators to take to Twitter.com to share their grief.
On Monday dozens of Hollywood's biggest names arrived at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center to pay their last respects, and among the crowd of famous faces were the leading ladies of her most famous films Julie &amp; Julia and Sleepless in Seattle - Streep and Ryan.
Also in attendance were Martin, Steven Spielberg, Sally Field, Larry David, Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Hamm and girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt, Matthew Broderick, designer Diane Von Furstenberg, homemaker Martha Stewart, and journalists Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer.
Longtime pals Tom Hanks and director Mike Nichols delivered touching tributes during the ceremony, while guests were handed printed programmes, which included food lover and cook Ephron's recipe for Esther Fein's Brisket.
It was a bittersweet day for Oscar winner Hanks, who turned 56 on Monday.

Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
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New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the third and final installment in director Peter Jackson's fantasy epic, continued its reign at the box office in its third week with a courtly $30.7 million* over the New Year's weekend.
That's definitely good news for New Line's year-end totals. With the help of the successful The Return of the King, the studio crossed the billion mark in 2003.
With no new wide releases this week, the rest of the box office list was an almost exact repeat of last week's top 10. The comedy Cheaper by the Dozen maintained its second place status with a respectable $21.8 million, followed by the romantic Something's Gotta Give, which moved up a spot to third place with $12.5 million.
The nippy Cold Mountain dropped a spot to fourth with $11.7 million, while Ben Affleck sci-fi thriller Paycheck rounded out the top five once again with $10 million.
The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $124.5 million, down 24.92 percent from last weekend's $165.8 million take but up 14.47 percent from the same weekend last year's $108.7 million.
THE TOP TEN
New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King kept its No. 1 stronghold in its third week of release with an ESTIMATED $30.7 million (-39%) at 3,703 theaters (unchanged; $8,304 per theater). Its cume is approximately $291.9 million.
Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Miranda Otto, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan.
Twentieth Century Fox's PG rated comedy Cheaper by the Dozen stayed in second place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $21.8 million (-21%) in 3,307 theaters (+9 theaters; $6,607 per theater). The family comedy's cume is approximately $86 million.
Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff and Tom Welling.
Sony Pictures' PG-13 rated romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give moved up one spot to third in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $12.5 million (-10%) at 2,808 theaters (+99 theaters; $4,452 per theater). Its cume is approximately $43.8 million.
Directed by Nancy Meyers, it stars Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet and Frances McDormand.
Miramax Films' R rated Civil War drama Cold Mountain dropped a spot to fourth place with an ESTIMATED $11.7 million (-19%) in 2,216 theaters (+53 theaters; $5,297 per theater). The romantic Civil War drama has taken in approximately $43.8 million so far.
Directed by Anthony Minghella, it stars Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger.
Paramount Pictures' PG-13 rated sci-fi thriller Paycheck maintained its fifth position in its second week with an ESTIMATED $10 million (-25%) in 2,762 theaters (unchanged; $3,621 per theater). The sci-fi thriller's cume is approximately $38.8 million.
Directed by John Woo, it stars Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman.
Sony Pictures' PG-13 rated drama Mona Lisa Smile kept smilin' steady at No. 6 in its third week with an ESTIMATED $8.7 million (-23%) in 2,714 theaters (+37 theaters; $3,206 per theater). Its cume is approximately $50.2 million.
Directed by Mike Newell, it stars Julia Roberts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles.
*Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.
Universal Pictures' PG rated family pic Peter Pan stayed in seventh place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $8.4 million (-24%) at 2,813 theaters (unchanged; $3,010 per theater). The live-action film, based on the J.M. Barrie classic children's story, has taken in approximately $33.8 million so far.
Directed by P.J. Hogan, it stars Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs and Ludivine Sagnier.
Warner Bros.' R rated period actioner The Last Samurai held onto eighth place in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $7.4 million (-10%) in 2,401 theaters (-156; $3,109 per theater). Its cume is approximately $90.1 million.
Directed by Edward Zwick, it stars Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn and Timothy Spall.
With an expanded release, Buena Vista's PG-13 rated British comedy Calendar Girls broke into the top 10 list at No. 9 in its third week with an ESTIMATED $4.6 million in 745 theaters, averaging $6,174 per theater. Its cume is approximately $7.1 million.
Based on a true story, the film is about a group of older women who pose for a charity pinup calendar, become instant celebrities, and learn life lessons on their journey from England's Yorkshire Dales to Hollywood and back again.
Directed by Nigel Cole, it stars Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.
Miramax Films' R rated dark comedy Bad Santa dropped a spot to round out the top 10 in its sixth week with an ESTIMATED $3 million (-33%) at 1,710 theaters (unchanged; $6,174 per theater). Its cume is approximately $57 million.
Directed by Terry Zwigoff, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Tony Cox and John Ritter.
WEEKEND COMPARISON
Last year, New Line's PG-13 rated The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers stayed at No. 1 in its third week with $25 million in 3,622 theaters (unchanged; $6,907 per theater); DreamWorks' biopic Catch Me If You Can held onto second place in its second week with $21.4 million 3,170 theaters ($6,670 per theater); Warner Brothers' PG-13 rated romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice followed in third place in its third week of release with $11.1 million in 2,755 theaters (unchanged; $4,039 per theater).

It's good to be the King.
Taking in a regal $34.1 million on its record-breaking opening day Wednesday, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the third and final installment of the J.R.R. Tolkien classic fantasy epic, easily lorded over the competition this weekend, rightfully claiming the throne with $73.6 million* and hitting a five-day total of $125 million--the best five-day Wednesday opening of all time.
The Return of King defeats previous record holder Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace, which opened in 1999 and took a five-day total of $105.6 million, while also beating out its predecessor The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which opened the same weekend last year and managed a $102 million five-day haul. The first part of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, opened in 2001 with a five-day total of $66.1 million.
"That is amazing. The worldwide sweep of this movie is unprecedented. To have a quarter-billion-dollar gross in five days shows what a broad swath this movie cuts," Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, told The Associated Press. "These would be good numbers for a film to do in its entire run, but this is just the beginning."
The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers went on to take in $861 million and $921 million respectively, leading New Line Cinema to hope The Return of the King may break the $1 billion mark. "This thing is so gigantic, we really don't know where we're going," David Tuckerman, New Line's head of domestic distribution told AP Wednesday. The only film to ever earn $1 billion was Titanic, which took $1.8 billion worldwide.
Although the rest of the top 10 box office contenders paled in comparison, another newcomer to the box office race, the Julia Roberts' starrer Mona Lisa Smile, managed to take second place with $12 million. The romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give came in third with $11.5 million, while the sword-clashing The Last Samurai dropped to fourth place with $7.3 million. The conjoined twin comedy Stuck on You rounded out the top five with $5.4 million.
Other smaller fare openers this week included the delightful Calendar Girls and the tragic House of Sand and Fog.
THE TOP TEN
New Line Cinema's glorious PG-13-rated fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King premiered at No. 1 with an ESTIMATED $73.6 million in 3,703 theaters. Its $19,876 per theater average was the highest of any film playing wide this week. Since opening on Wednesday, its five-day cume is approximately $125 million.
In the final installment to the Tolkien trilogy, the good people of Middle-earth continue their fight against the evil Sauron, while Hobbit Frodo Baggins carries on his arduous quest to destroy the Ring and rid the land of its dark forces forever.
Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Miranda Otto, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan.
Sony Pictures' PG-13-rated drama Mona Lisa Smile opened in second place with an ESTIMATED $12 million in 2,677 theaters with a $4,483 per theater average.
The film centers on a 1950s free-spirited, novice art history professor who encourages her students at an all-female college to strive for a more enlightened futures.
Directed by Mike Newell, it stars Julia Roberts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles.
Given its mighty competition, Sony Pictures' PG-13-rated romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give last week's topper dropped to No. 3 in its second week with an ESTIMATED $11.5 million (-28%) at 2,677 theaters (unchanged; $4,296 per theater). The film, in which an older man dating a pretty twentysomething falls in love with her dynamic mother, has accumulated approximately $33.5 million to date.
Directed by Nancy Meyers, it stars Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet and Frances McDormand.
Warner Bros.' R-rated period actioner The Last Samurai, fell two spots to fourth place in its third week with an ESTIMATED $7.3 million (-48%) in 2,938 theaters (+30; $2,497 per theater average). Its cume is approximately $59 million.
Directed by Edward Zwick, it stars Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn and Timothy Spall.
*Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.
Twentieth Century Fox's PG-13-rated comedy Stuck on You also fell two spots to No. 5 in its second week with an ESTIMATED $5.4 million (-43%) at 3,007 theaters (+4; $1,796 per theater). Its cume is approximately $17 million.
Directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, it stars Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Eva Mendes and Cher.
New Line Cinema's PG-rated holiday comedy Elf held onto sixth place in its seventh week with an ESTIMATED $5 million (-17%) at 2,451 theaters (-425 theaters; $2,040 per theater). Its cume is approximately $154.3 million.
Directed by Jon Favreau, it stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, Zooey Deschanel and Mary Steenburgen.
Miramax Films' R-rated dark comedy Bad Santa held steady in seventh place in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $4.25 million (-29%) at 2,225 theaters (-315 theaters; $1,914 per theater). Its cume is approximately $42 million.
Directed by Terry Zwigoff, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Tony Cox and John Ritter.
Buena Vista's PG-rated horror comedy The Haunted Mansion dropped three notches to No. 8 in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $4.2 million (-32%) at 2,414 theaters (-587 theaters; $1,740 per theater). Its cume is approximately $59.1 million.
Directed by Rob Minkoff, it stars Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason and Jennifer Tilly.
Dropping considerably, Warner Bros. PG-13-rated teen comedy Love Don't Cost a Thing tumbled five spots to take ninth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $3.9 million (-37%) at 1,844 theaters (unchanged; $2,148 per theater). Its cume is approximately 11.4 million.
Directed by Troy Beyer, it stars Nick Cannon, Christina Millian and Steve Harvey.
Rounding out the top 10, Universal Pictures' PG-13-rated hip-hop drama Honey dropped two spots in its third week with an ESTIMATED $2.5 million (-47%) in 1,824 theaters (-148 theaters; $1,420 per theater). Its cume is approximately $23.4 million.
Directed by Bille Woodruff, it stars Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer and Lil' Romeo.
OTHERS
Buena Vista's PG-13-rated lighthearted Calendar Girls debuted in 24 theaters with an ESTIMATED $161,000, with a $6,708 per theater average.
Based on a true story, the film is about a group of older women who pose for a charity pinup calendar, become instant celebrities, and learn life lessons on their journey from England's Yorkshire Dales to Hollywood and back again.
Directed by Nigel Cole, it stars Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.
Dreamworks' PG-13-rated tragedy House of Sand and Fog opened in two theaters with an ESTIMATED $44,000,.
The film explores what happens when the American Dream goes terribly awry as a displaced Iranian colonel and an addict clash over the ownership of a small home.
Directed by Vadim Perelman, it stars Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly.
WEEKEND COMPARISON
The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $133.5 million, up a whopping 66.53 percent from last weekend's $80.2 million take but only up less than 1 percent from last year's $132.6 million.
Last year, New Line's PG-13-rated The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers opened at No. 1 with a hefty $62 million in 3,622 theaters ($17,120 per theater); in second place came Warner Bros. PG-13-rated romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice with $14.3 million in 2,755 theaters ($5,201 per theater); Sony Pictures' PG-13-rated romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan dropped to third place in its second week with $10.7 million at 2,866 theaters ($3,738 per theater).

Top Story:
Charlie's Angels star Cameron Diaz, who was seen Tuesday sporting two tiny bandage strips on the bridge of her nose, said she broke her nose Saturday during a surfing accident off Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. "I'm fine," Diaz told The Associated Press. "But I'm just totally bummed out because I can't go surfing any more." The nautical mishap happened on her first day of her two-week Hawaiian vacation, also her 31st birthday. Diaz said she was surfing with her older sister and a couple of friends when she wiped out and hit someone else's board--with her face. Her sister, Chimene, told the AP it could have been worse had the board not been made of foam. According to the 2004 edition of the Guinness World Records, Diaz, who earned $42.2 million in 2001, has replaced Julia Roberts as Hollywood's highest paid actress.
Actors To Test for Batman Role
Holy razor's edge, this is going to be a close shave! Over the next three days, some of Hollywood's hottest young actors will congregate at Warner Bros. to test for the role of the Caped Crusader in the next Batman film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale, Joshua Jackson, Cillian Murphy, Henry Cavill and Eion Bailey are all expected to test for the part. The Batman film, to be directed by English filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Memento), is scheduled to start shooting in February.
Johnny Depp Loves Freedom Fries
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl star Johnny Depp, who lives in the south of France with his wife, French model/actress Vanessa Paradis, and their two children, told the German news magazine Stern that the United States is "a stupid, aggressive puppy" and he would not live there until the political climate changed. According to Reuters, Depp, 41, also slammed George W. Bush's administration for its criticism of French opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, adding: ""I was ecstatic they re-named 'French fries' as 'Freedom fries.' Grown men and women in positions of power in the U.S. government showing themselves as idiots."
Limo Owner Sues Rapper 50 Cent
The owner of a limousine service in Mobile, Ala., has sued rapper 50 Cent, claiming he suffered bruised ribs, fear and emotional distress after some of the star's security guards hijacked his vehicle following a March 13 concert at the University of South Alabama's Mitchell Center, the AP reports. Johnny Bonner alleges that when he tried to take a different route back to the hotel after a crowd of fans surrounded 50 Cent's motorcade, the security men attacked him, threw him in the rear seat of the GMC Yukon and drove "recklessly" back to the hotel. He seeks unspecified damages from 50 Cent, the three unidentified security men and unidentified parties responsible for hiring and supervising the men.
Macaulay Culkin Happy Where He Is
Former Home Alone child star Macaulay Culkin says he has no regrets about rising to fame at such a young age. Culkin, now 23, tells Barbara Walters in an interview with airing Friday at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC's 20/20 that he wouldn't trade any of his experiences for anything in the world. "I'm very happy with who I am, and where I've ended up and I wouldn't change one thing," he said. "Because if you change one thing in the past, everything else is different." Culkin, who married actress Rachel Miner in 1998 when both were just 17 but separated two years later, also denied he plans to marry his girlfriend, actress Mila Kunis from the Fox's That '70s Show. Culkin stars as New York club kid Michael Alig in the upcoming biopic Party Monster.
Universal Re-Releases Scarface
Universal Pictures is re-releasing Al Pacino's Scarface this month for a 20th anniversary run in theaters in New York; Los Angeles; Boston; Chicago; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Detroit; Dallas; Miami and San Francisco, Reuters reports. Jack Foley, president of distribution for Universal's specialty film label Focus Features, said the new prints have been copied from restored film and will feature a new digital soundtrack to boost the audience experience. The film's re-release comes in advance of a new DVD version of Scarface.
Gone With the Wind's Rand Brook Dies
Actor Rand Brooks, who played Scarlett O'Hara's first husband, Charles, in Gone With the Wind died of cancer Monday at his home in Santa Ynez, Calif., with his wife, Hermaine, at his bedside, the AP reports. He was 84. In the 1940s and '50s, Brooks became known as sidekick Lucky Jenkins in the Hopalong Cassidy movies and Cpl. Randy Boone in the TV series Rin Tin Tin. After he left show business, Brooks ran an ambulance service that eventually became the largest private ambulance provider in Los Angeles County. He sold the company in 1994 and retired to the Santa Ynez Valley, where he bred champion Andalusian horses.